This disclosure relates generally to analytical detection, and more specifically to imaging of nucleic acid arrays.
Nucleic acid arrays have become a key tool in a wide range of applications used to detect and analyze biological systems. In many of these applications, the arrays are engineered to include probes for nucleotide sequences present in genes in humans and other organisms. A test sample, for example, from a known person or organism, can be exposed to the array, such that nucleic acid fragments from the test sample hybridize to probes at the individual features in the array. Detection of the features of the array to which fragments from the sample have bound can be used to identify which sequences are present in the sample. Nucleic acid arrays may also be used for genetic sequencing. In general, genetic sequencing consists of determining the order of nucleotides or nucleic acid in a length of genetic material, such as a fragment of DNA or RNA. The technology is improving and ever larger nucleic acid samples, such as more complex genomes, are being sequenced on arrays.
For these and other applications of nucleic acid arrays, improvements have recently been made in detection hardware. For example, improvements in imaging systems allow for faster, more accurate and higher resolution scanning and imaging, particularly through the use of line-scanning and confocal control of imaging optics. However, as the density of features in the arrays increases, the size of the features decreases and the overall size of the arrays expand, accurate detection becomes problematic. The economic costs and time required for detection and image processing also becomes problematic.
Thus, there exists a need for accurate, rapid and cost effective image processing methods for nucleic acid arrays. The present disclosure addresses this need and provides other advantages as well.